PubMatic Adds Programmatic Native; B2B Data Company Buy

PubMatic has added support for “programmatic native.” The offering will at first be limited to RTB and private marketplace integration, with the eventual goal of enabling “automated guaranteed” transactions. PubMatic’s buy-side partners include Adelphic, Bidtellect, Digilant, Fiksu, MediaMath, PowerLinks, StrikeAd and Turn. The solution works for mobile web, in-app and desktop native ads. Read the release. Native ad ops: just like display!

Buying B2B

There’s a run on B2B data companies and Madison Logic is the latest to join the race. The B2B marketing solutions provider moved in on B2B ad network BBN, an acquisition the company says will add upper-funnel smarts to its predominantly lower- to mid-funnel product mix. BBN’s roots date back to 2008, when 24/7 Real Media, prior to its merger with Xaxis, banded together with four B2B-focused publishers to create the vertically focused network. In other B2B data deal-making, LinkedIn earlier acquired Bizo, while Dun & Bradstreet scooped up NetProspex. Press release.

Hearst Taps Agency Brass

Hearst-owned agency iCrossing has found a new CEO in Nick Brien, the former chief of McCann Worldgroup who left 2012. Brien will also run Hearst Magazines Marketing Services. He said in a statement, "We are fueled by the vast content, audience and data assets of Hearst.” Those data assets include Core Audience, the publisher's DMP that used to be known as Red Aril. Brien was shown the exit at McCann after IPG brass decided his direct marketing background and brash style didn't fit McCann's creative-centric agency network. Press release.

Tomorrow’s Data Monopolies

In a piece for the Harvard Business Review, Kira Radinsky argues the future will find large companies using their data sets to freeze out competitors. “Data becomes the barrier-to-entry to the market and thus prevents new competitors from entering. As a result of the established player’s access to vast amounts of proprietary data, overall industry competitiveness suffers. This hurts the economy.” Read it. Google’s search dominance is the obvious web example. But! The ad market would seem insulated, with data ownership inherently fragmented across brands and publishers. And onboarding of new data sources could give a boost to offline players.

Local-Market Measurement

Tribune Broadcasting inked a long-term renewal of Nielsen’s local-market TV ratings for measurement across its stations. Terms weren’t disclosed, but Tribune will take advantage of newer Nielsen offerings like mobile TV and out-of-home metrics. “Expanding our access to more detailed audience research and analytics is extremely important to our company,” said Larry Wert, president of broadcast media for Tribune. Even Nielsen, the poster child for prime-time TV, is investing in video and mobile. The blog post.